How to Close a Google Form

Once you have collected enough responses for your Google Form or have met your initial targets, it’s time to close it. This will prevent others from submitting new responses.

You can close your form manually at any time you wish. Alternatively, you can schedule a time or target for the form to close automatically. This guide shows you the different ways you can close your Google Form.

Close a Google Form Manually

You can manually stop accepting responses by closing your form.

  1. In your Google Form, go to the Responses tab at the top of the page.

    Responses tab
    Go to the Responses tab.

  2. You will see the Accepting responses toggle. Turn the toggle to “off” to stop accepting responses for your form.

    Accepting responses
    Switch off the Accepting responses toggle.

  3. By toggling the button off, you will be notified that your form is “Not accepting responses”.

    Not accepting responses
    Your form is no longer accepting new responses.

  4. If new respondents open your form after turning new responses off, they will be greeted with a default message informing them that the form is now closed. You can customize the default message to what you prefer.
    Alter the default message.
    Default message for new respondents that can be customized.

    If you want to re-open your form to new submissions, you can turn on the toggle on again.

Close a Google Form Automatically

To close a form automatically, you must install an add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Installing formLimiter

  1. Open your form in Google Forms, and click on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. Select Add-ons.
    Add-on option
    Select Add-ons.

    Google Workspace Marketplace will open in a new window.

    Form limiter
    Google Workspace Marketplace window.

  2. In the marketplace, you will see an add-on called formLimiter. If you can’t find it, use the search bar at the top. Click on Install to add formLimiter to Google Forms.

    Install Form Limiter
    Install formLimiter.

  3. It will ask you to choose a Google account to continue the installation. Select the account you used to create the form.

    Choose an account
    Select the Google account used to create the form.

  4. When you return to your Google Form, you will see an Add-on icon at the top of the page. Clicking it will show formLimiter.

    Add-on display
    Add-on icon displays at the top of Google Forms.

  5. Select formLimiter and then Set limit from the options.
    Set limit
    Select the Set limit option.

    Setting a “limit” allows you to choose when the Google Form stops accepting new responses.

Date and Time

Scheduling a date and time can help you to manage incoming responses. To close the form through this limit type, select the date and time by clicking on the displayed tab. Also, you can enter the default message for the respondents. Click on Save and enable it to set the limit.

Date and time option
Add date and time to end response collection.

Number of Responses

You can set the maximum number of responses you wish to receive on your form. Once the number of responses reaches the specified limit, formLimiter will close the form and display a custom “form closed” message to the respondents.

Number of form responses limiter.
Add the maximum number of responses.

Spreadsheet Cell Value

In this last option, you can specify the value of an Excel sheet cell to limit your form responses. The requirement to use this option is to connect your destination sheet with your form.

  1. Go to the Responses tab, and click on the three-dot menu.

    Three dot menu in Responses tab
    Go to the three-dots menu in the Responses tab.

  2. Choose the option Select response destination.

    Select response destination
    Choose Select the response destination.

  3. You may choose to create a new spreadsheet or use an existing one. Click Create when you select the destination.
    Destination selection
    Click on create to specify a destination.

     

  4. Once the destination is selected, go back to formLimiter. Under “Limit Type”, make sure you have spreadsheet cell value chosen. Specify a cell number, for example, “B11,” from the destination spreadsheet. Then, enter any value you wish to fill until the specified cell number. As soon as this value is inputted, the form will automatically close.

    Spreadsheet cell value
    Mention spreadsheet cell value to limit responses.

  5. Finally, select Save and enable.

Liam is a marketing specialist at StartMarketing.net. Based in Dublin, he graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2020 with a degree in Computer Science (Intelligent Systems). He has since 2021 worked for Google as a Sales and Marketing specialist, within their Dublin headquarters. Liam has over 4 years of experience in e-commerce sales, digital marketing and branding.

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